Display device



Jan. l5, 1935. 'I s. cfGlLl. ETAL DISPLAY DEVICE Original Filed June l1, 1932 Patented Jan. 15, 1935 "UNITED v,STATES DISPLAY DEVICE Sydney Charles Gill and :Sydney Dallaway,

London, England Original application June-1l, `1932, Serial No.

616,728; Divided and this application (lctober` 18,' 1933, Serial No. 694,120. In Great Britain February 20, 1932 eolaims. `(c1. 2v2- 13) This inventionrelates to an improved display device embodying the illusion known as Peppers ghost, and has for its object to provide an article which shall be readily portable, adaptable to avariety of different displays and economical both in operation and manufacture.

According to the present invention, a substantially transparent screen, suitably inclined with relation to the observer, is associated with cabinet or similar containing means, in which two objects or series of objects are housed in such manner that they are only visible to the observer through the medium of the aforesaid screen, each object or one object of each series being illuminated alternately by lighting means.

In a simple and readily portable form of construction, the transparent sheet is adapted to be contained within a collapsible cabinet, on top of which is attached a mechanical unit comprising lighting and obturating means whereby two positions in the cabinet (at which will be stationed the objects for display) are alternately illuminated.

In the drawing is shown two examples of construction of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a part section side elevation of one form of construction.

Figure 2 shows a plan according to Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows details of the obturator sleeve.

Referring to the drawing, a transparent screen 1 is mounted in an inclined position in a collapl sible casing 2 which is tted with a front display board 3 having a viewing aperture 4 formed therein. A platform member 5, for supporting one or more objects, and the transparent screen 1 are hinged together, and to the casing 2 there is hinged at 6, an additional platform 7 for supporting one or more objects. As a result of this 40 hinging together of the members a collapsible unit is obtained. v

In a casing 8 above the casing 2, is mounted a blade wheel 17, driven by hot air currents passing from a lamp 9 (Figure 2) mounted in a casing 32. The blade wheell 17 is provided with pins 18 which engage with a gear wheel 19 connected by a rod 20 to a pivoted rod 21. The rod 21 has a forked end 22 Which engages with an arm 23 attached to a spindle 24 which carries an ob- 50 turator 16 for the lamp 9. To one end of the spindle 24 is also secured one end of a frame 25 carrying a curtain 26, the other end of the frame being pivotally connected to the casing 8 at 25'. Adjustable balance weights 27, 28 and 29 are provided on the frame 25, arm 23 and rod 21, so that the minimum power is necessary to drivethe mechanism.

in turn through the rod 21 rocks spindle 24, thus 5 raising and lowering the curtain 26 and rocking the obturator 16 so as to illuminate theplatforms 5 and 7 and the objects thereon on opposite sides of the transparent screen 1 alternately, through apertures 30 and 31 in the casing 32 which sur- 10 rounds the obturator 16.

It will be seen that with this arrangementk the black curtain 26 serves to obscure the display object located behind the screen 1 on the platform 7 when the other display object is being seen by 15 reflection. l

What we claim isz- 1. A display device, comprising a casing having a viewing aperture in the front wall thereof, .a transparent mirror mounted in an inclined position in said casing, a platform mounted in front of said screen, a second platform mounted behind said screen, a source of light mounted above the front end of said sc1een,'a cylindrical shutter surrounding said source of light, said shutter having apertures therein, whereby said source of light is caused to illuminate alternately the front and rear of said screen, a spindle on which said shutter is mounted, a motor mounted on said casing, a' curtain operatively connected to said 30 shutter, a plurality of pins on said motor, a pinf Wheel co-operating with said pins, a connecting rod connected eccentrically at one end to said pin disc, Va, pivotally mounted balanced forked lever connected to the other end of said connecting rod, and a balanced arm on said spindle and engaged by said forked lever, the arrangement being such that rotation of the pin Wheel, through the connecting rod, forked lever, and balanced arm produces a rocking movement of the shutter and thus the raising and lowering of the curtain.

2. A display device, comprising a casing having a viewing aperture in the front wall thereof, a transparent mirror mounted in an inclined position in said casing, a platform mounted in front of said screen, a` second platform mounted behind said screen, a source of light mounted above the front end of said screen, a cylindrical shutter surrounding said source of light, said shutter having apertures therein, whereby said source of light is caused to illuminate alternately the front and rear of said screen, a spindle on which said shutter is mounted, a motor `mounted on said casing, a curtain operatively 55,'

connected to said shutter, a plurality of pins on said motor, a pin-wheel co-operating with said pins, a connecting rod connected eccentrically at one end to said pin disc, a pivotally mounted balanced forked lever connected to the other end of said connecting rod, a balanced arm on said spindle, said balanced arm being engaged by said forked lever, a frame on said spindle, and a curtain suspended from said frame so as to hang between said screen and the object at the rear of said screen, the arrangement being suchthat rotation of the pin wheel, through the connecting rod, forked lever,y and balanced arm, produces a rocking movement of the shutter and raises the curtain when the back of the screen is illuminated, and lowers said curtain when the front face of said screen is illuminated as a result of the rocking movement of the shutter.

3. A dsplay device, comprising a casing having a viewing aperture in the front wall thereof, a

transparent mirrorV mounted in an inclined posii tion in said casing, a platform mounted in front of said screen, a second platform mounted behind said screen, a source of light mounted above the front end of said screen, a cylindrical shutter surrounding said source of light, said shutter having apertures therein, whereby saidsource of light is caused to illuminate alternately the front and rear of said'screen, a spindle onk which said shutter is mounted, a motor mounted on said casing,a plurality of pins on said motor, a -pinwheel co-operating with `said pins, a connecting rod connected eccentrically at one end to said pin disc, a'pivotally' mounted balanced forked lever connected to the other end of said connecting rod,` and a balanced arm; on said spindle, said. balanced arm being engaged by said forked lever the pin Wheel, through themedium of the connecting rod, forked lever, and balanced arm, producing a rocking `movement of the shutter.

SYDNEY C. GILL. VSYDNEY DALLAWAY.V 

